Love to Serve, Serve to Love
This was a missionary message to me. Let me explain.
I have always been insecure and felt inadequate around most
people. Those feelings didn't disappear when I began doing work for the Lord.
While I am much more confident than I used to be, I still question and second
guess myself frequently. I feel like I have so much to learn yet where Jesus is
concerned. I don't have all of the answers. I don't even know all of the
questions to ask. I haven't even read the Bible in its entirety- so how am I
qualified to teach anyone about God when I don't know all of the facts myself?
I struggled with this when God put it on my heart to
write my church newsletter, and again a few years later about starting this
blog. (And I won't even begin to tell you my struggles when He told me write young adult novels!) I just don't feel qualified to 'teach' anyone. I still have so many
questions, so many uncertainties, so many doubts. One of my biggest fears is
that I’ll push someone further from Christ because of my lack of knowledge. I
don't want to lose someone when I can't answer their questions. And I fear
they'll lose interest if I tell them I need to look it up and get back to them.
(You have no idea how many hours I spend looking things up for my writings
before I publish them. I don't have that luxury of time in a face to face
conversation.)
Therefore, this verse speaks to me that it's okay not to
know it all. (And no one really knows it all but God anyway). (Job 21:22, Isaiah
40:13-14, Romans 11:33-34, 1 Corinthians 2:16, 1 John 3:20) But holding myself
back from telling others of Him isn't being like Him; which is what we are
called to be. What it all boils down to (and by 'all'- I mean quite literally
'all': this life, this world, the people surrounding us and our Walk with
Christ) is Love. You see, love is more important than knowledge. (Check your
Bible- the Word doesn't tell us to learn all we can; It tells us to love all we
can). True wisdom is measured by a person’s character, not by their knowledge.
(James 3:13, 17) and what greater character trait is there to have than being a
person filled with love? (1 John 4:7-8) The entire Bible is about, exemplifies
and commands love. (Matthew 22:37, 39; John 3:16; 1 John 4:9; - the verses are
virtually endless) From the beginning, God is Love. (1 John 3:11) His greatest
commandment of us is to love. (Matthew 22:37-40) It is through our Love for
God, that we are to love others, and we will serve them. Serving others can be
done through a multitude of outlets. Obviously it can be an act of service
(volunteering at a shelter or food bank). It can be through teaching (Bible
studies and Sunday school classes (and blogs)). It can be through counseling
(letting someone vent and cry). It can be done with many, and with few. And
even, I think, can be done alone. Praying for someone, in your time alone with God
is serving. (I personally have no doubt that because others prayed for me- when
I wasn't present- has saved and grown me in many ways). (After all, we don't
serve for recognition, so doing it without witnesses is a large sacrifice for
our pride). (Matthew 6:1-4)
Is it important to know all we can about the Lord?
Absolutely. But is it necessary to have all knowledge to serve Him and love
others? Absolutely not. (Proverbs 3:1-4). (Acts 20:35) We are on this earth for
a reason, and each person has their own specific calling from God. (Jeremiah
29:11, 2 Thessalonians 1:11, 1 Peter 4:10-11) Just because you aren't involved
in a big overseas mission to help spread His Word, doesn't mean your mission isn't
just as important. If God has placed something on your heart, there's a reason
for it; and He sees the need and urgency when we don't. You may not feel like
you're the most qualified person to do the job. You may not feel like you're
even in the top 90%. But God does. Remember, He doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies
the called. (James 2:5)
His whole Law can be fulfilled by ‘Love’. (Galatians
5:13-14) Our whole reason for existing is to Love, God and others. And what
better way to love God, than to love His children? And to show our love for
both, is to serve them. (James 2:14-17)
We are Christians, Christ-like. And what better way to be
like Christ, than to love those He loves (everyone) and to serve them? If Jesus
came to this world to serve, we should follow His lead. (Matthew 10:44-45, Mark
10:45, Philippians 2:1-8) (Ephesians 2:10, Philippians 2:2)
We needn’t worry about how much we know, we should worry
about how much love we show. (1 Timothy 3:13) (Hebrews 10:24)
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